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Ford Fourth In 2017 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

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Ford Motor Company has placed fourth in the 2017 Initial Quality Study from J.D. Power, tying with Fiat Chrysler’s Ram truck brand. The study assigns scores to vehicle brands and models in the US based on the number of reported problems per 100 new vehicles (PP100) over the first 90 days of ownership. Ford and Ram each came in significantly below the industry average (97 PP100) with 86 reported problems per 100 vehicles.

Ford, which last year placed eleventh in the study, made significant strides, dropping from 102 PP100. Yet, only two Blue Oval models – the 2017 Ford Mustang and 2017 Ford Expedition – won in their segments (“Midsize Sporty Car” and “Large SUV”, respectively). General Motors, meanwhile, managed to come out on top in four different segments: “Small Car” (Chevrolet Sonic), “Large Light Duty Pickup” (Chevrolet Silverado), “Large Heavy Duty Pickup” (Chevrolet Silverado HD), and “Compact SUV” (GMC Terrain). Ram didn’t conquer any, although the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica came first in the “Minivan” segment.

J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study is based on feedback from some 80,000 new car owners and lessees, with a 233-question survey split up into eight different problem categories. The Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation (ACEN) category has the highest incidence of reported problems of any, scores on average improved pretty significantly since last year. The Features, Controls and Displays category is the only one to have gotten worse from 2016 to 2017.

“Automotive manufacturers are responding to consumer feedback and producing vehicles of the highest quality,” says J.D. Power Global Automotive VP Dave Sargent. “The industry has improved significantly in each of the past three years. Today’s vehicles have more things that could go wrong but fewer things that actually do go wrong.”

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— Aaron Brzozowski

Aaron Brzozowski is a writer and motoring enthusiast from Detroit with an affinity for '80s German steel. He is not active on the Twitter these days, but you may send him a courier pigeon.